Human skin is composed of three basic elements: the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis or so called subcutis. The dermis consists of collagen, elastic tissue and reticular fibers. The hypodermis is the lowest layer of skin and contains hair follicle roots, lymphatic vessels, collagen tissue, nerves and also subcutaneous fat forming an adipose fat tissue. Adipose fat tissue is formed by aggregation of fat cells containing stored lipid (fat). Most fat tissue accumulations result from lipids (fat) primarily from food, when energy intake derived from food exceeds daily energy needs. This may result in an increase in fat cell size or fat cell number or both. Mature fat cells are very large, ranging up to 120 microns in diameter and containing as much as 95% lipid (fat) by volume. The subcutaneous adipose tissue layer may be thin (about 1 cm or less) or in humans of slight or moderate body type.
Excess adipose tissue may be perceived as aesthetically undesirable. Dieting and exercise may result in reduction of adipose tissue and weight loss. However, for most people, the reduction in adipose tissue volume occurs rather unpredictably from all anatomical areas. This can leave the areas intended for reduction, for example, the abdomen, largely unaffected, even after significant body weight loss. Various invasive and non-invasive methods have been developed to remove unwanted subcutaneous fat from specific areas of the body.
The main invasive method is surgical-assisted liposuction, where selected volumes of subcutaneous fat are mechanically aspirated out from the patient at desired anatomical sites of the body. However, liposuction procedures are invasive and can be painful and traumatic, with many undesirable side effects and risks. Lipodissolve is another invasive procedure involving a series of drug injections intended to dissolve and permanently remove small pockets of fat from various parts of the body. It also is known as mesotherapy, lipozap, lipotherapy, or injection lipolysis. Lipodissolve also has many disadvantages and risks, to the extent that various medical associations have issued health warnings against using it.
The non-invasive methods concentrate on the acceleration of the lipolysis as the natural process of the fat reduction. This can be achieved in several ways. One of them is application of pharmaceuticals accelerating the lipolysis. However, when applied topically they tend only to affect the outermost layers of the skin, rarely penetrating to the subdermal vascular plexus. Another method uses radio frequency or ultrasound energy focused on adipose tissue to cause cell destruction and death. These methods tend to damage the melanocyte in the epidermis. The hyperthermic temperatures destroy the target tissues and leave the body to remove the dead cellular and other debris. Non-invasive heating techniques have also been used. These involve heating the adipose fat tissue to about 40° C. or more via direct contact with a heating element. These non-invasive methods have certain disadvantages as well, and have been used with varying degrees of success.
Accordingly, there is need for improved methods and systems for subcutaneous treatments.